Attic Treasures of Harlem had its beginning with a lovely lady by the name of Mrs. Cora Neal, who was a beloved teacher at North Harlem Elementary. She had breast cancer and eventually succumbed to it. She felt there was a need for a place where clothing, books, furniture, and other items could be donated for resale and the profit given to “Relay for Life”.

After Mrs. Cora passed on, the “Attic” continued to operate, doing the same great thing, with the help of 5 ladies who love Harlem and what the store meant to the community.

“This group of 5 people got together to serve the community and give back and people bring things from their attic to donate…and that’s our treasure,” Ann Blalock told us.

Ann and Doris Belcher have been volunteering at the store for many years and they don’t get paid for what they do. They say they feel they are just helping out family.

“We are a close knit group of people. We are able to help out when one’s sick and we all pitch in and they take up the slack. So, it really is a family,” Ann added.

The money made from the store goes to 20 different charities, like “Relay for Life”, the Fisher House, and even scholarships for area students. Since 2008, Attic Treasures of Harlem has given more than $130,000 to charity. The store is dependent on volunteers, old and young.

“The teenagers are very important to us. We get a lot of technology in the store that we have no idea what it is,” Ann said.

You can find just about anything in the store, from wedding dresses, to toys, to even Christmas items.

“It’s amazing what they will find. We have people come in and are like, ‘Whoa! I never knew this was in this store’,”Doris said.

The store has grown over the years, and with the many charities it helps out, Mrs. Cora Neal would be proud.

“I think she’d be very pleased. She was a very vivacious person anyway,” Ann added.

With Mrs. Neal’s work being carried on by countless volunteers, the store is sure to be here for years to come.

The store is located at 757 West Milledgeville Road, in Harlem, Georgia in the old IGA building in the Family Dollar Plaza.For more information on the store. visit their website.

If you have an interesting place you would like to see featured in our Your Hometown Stories series, just email John Lynn.